Millions of Aussies sat down on 31st December and wrote out a handful of New Year’s resolutions. Studies suggest that only 8 – 20% of people manage to keep their resolutions and the average date that we start to slip off course is as early as January 12th! With fitness goals being one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, we asked the CEO and Founder of Ultimate You, Andy Anderson, for some advice when it comes to achieving those health and fitness goals.
Tips for achieving health and fitness goals in 2024
Work, kids, bills, debts? Don’t fret; you can still kick your fitness goals, Andy Anderson explains…
We’re expert jugglers these days. All of us are so busy, with so many things to look after… Work, kids, family, bills, obligations… the list goes on, and it can get overwhelming. When we have so much on our plate, inevitably, things get left behind. And what goes first? Too often, it’s our health and fitness.
This is detrimental to us and our loved ones. As I like to say, if we don’t put our own oxygen mask on first, we can’t help anyone else. We must make being our healthiest and fittest a priority if we wish to have the energy, mindset, health and well-being to do all we need to do to survive the hectic, fast-paced world in which we live.
And we can. It’s absolutely possible to get fit and stay healthy with a busy schedule – if you follow a very particular approach. There are ways to stay fit when you’ve got a million things going on but still want to maintain your health and fitness.
Here are the top four things to keep in mind:
1. Making movement and exercise a priority
Make a schedule and stick to it, rain or shine. If your health is really important to you, you’ll make time for it, even if it’s half an hour a day. I know motivation is difficult to find, but I have a secret to share with you. Exercising balances out serotonin and dopamine, our feel good neurotransmitters, which uplifts our mood.
When we’re feeling like everything is dragging, we can change this by moving our bodies until we break out into a sweat. The pleasure we experience from all that dopamine and serotonin surging through our bloodstream will be the best motivator possible to want to make exercise a lifestyle.
Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
2. Practice self-compassion when it comes to hitting your fitness goals
When you do miss your hour at the gym (and sometimes you’re going to), don’t hate on yourself for missing it, especially if you had an urgent work meeting or sudden family obligations. Self-hate leads to self-sabotage, and this is a pattern you must avoid.
3. Think positively: Mental fitness feeds physical wellness.
A positive mindset is the catalyst to all great change. Thinking is believing. The mind chatter that streams through your head all day long is incredibly powerful and creates your reality, unconsciously guiding daily actions and decisions. They create the story of your life. If you learn to think positively and expect favourable results and situations, manifesting them is much more likely to become your reality.
So when you feel too beat or just don’t have time for exercise, give yourself a pep talk. Tell yourself, “I love my body and will do whatever is necessary to keep it firm, lean and energised.” “I’m tired but I’ll feel uplifted and happy if I get even a bit of a workout in. And I’ll sleep better.”
In time, your mentality and attitude will affect your external life and circumstances, and positive change will start to happen.
4. It all adds up! Count the small wins towards your movement goals.
If you miss a one-hour workout, go up the stairs instead of taking an escalator. Walk the 5km to the supermarket rather than drive there. Park your car in the spot farthest from the supermarket instead of the closest. If you have a yard, street, or even a little space next to your bed, you have the opportunity to do squats, push ups, burpees, lunges, and a whole lot more. Even 10 minutes a day will teach you to commit to yourself and prove that you are a person of integrity and capable of following through with what you have promised yourself.
Remember, though it may be difficult to get started if you follow those four tips and make these changes, you’ll find it much easier to balance your busy life while keeping healthy and fit at the same time.
About Ultimate You
Ultimate You and its three pillars of change methodology, mindset, nutrition, and training, has helped thousands of people to transform their mind, body and life outlook and become lean, energetic and healthy. Ultimate You’s philosophy is that weight loss and fitness can’t be achieved just with a physical training program, mindset, and nutritional habits also need to be addressed to achieve long-term change in a positive way.
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